Car-coupling



Q (No Model.)

G. W. JAMES. GAB. COUPLING.

No. 244,247; Patented July 12,1881

inf 72 65565: Inventor:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. JAMES, OF LIMA, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,247, dated July 12, 1881. Application filed May 14,1881. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of car-couplings in which tongues are employed to raise, support, or adjust the projecting end of the coupling-link when about to effect the coupling of two cars.

As heretofore made the tongue is liable to be broken by the link of the opposite drawhead, and. also, if the coupling-pin should not drop fully down upon the cars coming together, the rebound or jerk of the cars often bends the pin forward, causing it to bear suddenly with such force on the rear of the tongue as to break it. If the tongue be broken and part of it fall out, as it is almost sure to do,

I the removal of the whole becomes necessary,

and in this condition it is difficult to effect a coupling, and frequently the parts are so damaged that the car is required to go to the shop.

The object of this invention is to overcome these difficulties.

In the drawings herewith, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a draw-head on the line indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a draw-head on the line indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial front view of a draw-head. Fig. at is a view of one of the tongues.

The letter A designates the draw-head, and B the draw-bar which passes under the car. 0 is the link, D the pin, and d the pin-hole.

On the lower side of, and within the drawhead, is a central bridge or incline, e, which commences at the front lower edge or mouth of the draw-head and rises as it extends inward until near the point, down and back of which the coupling-pin-hole is made. At this point the said bridge inclines down and inward. This bridge, it will be understood, is cast integral with the draw-head.

Through each side of the'draw-head, and also through the central bridge, a hole is made for the rock-shaft F, and between the bridge and inner vertical sides of the draw-head is a partly circular depression or groove, f, formed on the bottom or lower side. This groove on each side of the bridge serves as a seat or bearing, in which the rounded part 9 of the two tongues Imay turn, one tongue being on each side of the bridge.

The bridge or incline in the center, it will be noticed, is higher than the side tongues, and this feature of greater height serves to relieve the tongues entirely of the strain or wear caused by the link entering the draw-head, as the link will slide up the incline without touching the tongues. The central bridge also serves,independently ofthe tongues, to prevent the pin from being bent, since it serves as a bearing in front of the pin, and reduces the space in the vertical direction where the strain comes on the pin.

The rock-shaft is provided at one or both ends with a head, It, by which it may be turned to raise the two tongues, which latter then support the coupling-link, one tongue bearing up on either side.

Any kind of a hand-rod or other device may be employed to operate the rock-shaft. This contriv-a-nce overcomes the difficulties named in using ordinary link-adjusting tongues.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-head, of a central bridge or incline on the lower side of and within the draw-head, and cast integral therewith, commencing at the front lower edge or mouth and rising as it extends inward to the coupling-pin hole, as set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a central bridge on the lower side and within the draw-head, and a tongue on each side of the central bridge, as set forth.

3. In a car coupler, the combination of a tongue within the draw-head to raise and support the coupling-link, and a bridge or incline integral with the lower side of the draw-head, of greater height than the tongue, whereby the tongue is relieved of strain or wear otherwise caused when the link enters the drawhead, as set forth.

GEORGE IV. JAMES. Witnesses:

A. S. GRAHAM, JOEL B. GEABB. 

